South Africa’s universities are confronting an upsurge in student activism. This activism is inspired by two distinct discontents; first, insufficient funding for poor students, and second, the cultural alienation of black students at many of the historically white universities.

In a lecture entitled: “Transcending the past and re-imagining the future of the South African University”, vice chancellor and Principal of the University of the Witwatersrand, Professor Adam Habib, said that government has lacked the will or the imagination to develop historically black universities.